It costs more than a pound to lock up an unattended dog.
The Village of Burns Lake is struggling with a number of wandering canines out on the streets that seem to have no owner, or at least no conscientious owner. The town hall is also struggling with the cost of looking after them when they are picked up as vagrants.
The situation made for a spirited conversation at the council table, May 16, when resident Michelle Hemmerling stepped up to launch an official complaint and dialogue about some possible solutions.
“These dogs often come dangerously close to getting hit on the road; they often look neglected and probably are; these dogs also harass people and other pets; and the bite risk is high,” Hemmerling said. “Off-leash dogs with owners also pose a safety risk. My dog has been attacked a couple of times by people with their off-leash dogs, even on my own property.”
Pet owners often believe their dogs are well enough behaved that they shouldn’t need to leash them on a walk, but their mere presence can cause worry in other pedestrians and pet owners, and no one can correctly guarantee their dogs’ obedience when encountering strangers or surprise situations. All dogs should be on a leash to moot that point, Hemmerling said.
There are so many unattended dogs wandering the streets, presently, that pedestrians are avoiding going for a walk, and-or not walking their dogs for fear of the others.
Some of the councillors at the table agreed that they had also heard these complaints, or had personal experiences of their own.
“There are a lot more people than just Michelle who have expressed angst over this,” said councillor Charlie Rensby. “I think we need to look at pet ownership as a whole. Other municipalities have different fines, rules, what-have-you to deal with this issue, and I think we should look at modernizing our policies…Right now, it’s disgusting.”
Councillor Kristy Bjarnason felt it was important “to get them re-homed” if an owner wasn’t forthcoming. Hemmerling agreed that a robust fostering network was a key to success.
Since Burns Lake now has a bylaw officer out on the compliance and enforcement beat, confiscating dogs was one of the things expected to get more attention, and chief administrative officer Sheryl Worthing stressed how vital a foster family collection was going to be.
“That’s a good point,” said Worthing. “A lot of people say ‘just put the dog in the pound,’ (but if) a dog doesn’t have a tag on it…we have to keep it at our cost for as long as it takes for a vet to see it. The vet takes it and spays or neuters it, at our cost, and then once that is done we ship it to Prince George Humane Society at our cost where they adopt the dog out. The last dogs we were talking about a couple of days ago, the first available vet appointment was August 17. So the Village Public Works will have to feed and water those dogs, house them, every single day of the week, then finally get them in to see the vet, then ship them to Prince George, all at Village expense, and that’s just not something we can afford to do.” Furthermore, Village staff will have to alter their shifts in order to feed and care for the basics of the dog(s), which costs taxpayer money and potentially the opportunity cost of doing their other duties.
Hemmerling said that she was aware of all the works Lakes Animal Friendship Society has done to spay and neuter strays and pets, and to find homes for those animals without one, but “people tend to go to them constantly for solutions, and they do a tonne for our community, but it shouldn’t always fall on their shoulders,” she said.
Among the initial actions that can be taken is improved signage about public dog rules, and the bylaw services phone number, councillors agreed, and a public consultation process could also be launched to get the input of residents.
“This is a big community concern,” said Hemmerling. “People are upset and frustrated. It’s not just about personal safety; these dogs’ lives are at risk, getting hit my a car or euthanized if they bite someone.”